When Kentucky basketball's Malachi Moreno began testing the NBA Draft waters, most fans and analysts believed it was just to get feedback on what he needed to do better in his second year in college. But the five-star freshman may have other ideas, and it seems that NBA teams do as well.
After working out with the New York Knicks, who have the 24th pick in the NBA Draft, it was announced that Moreno would not be participating in the 5-on-5 drills at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. That kind of opt-out has not really been seen as a positive indicator that a player is thinking of heading back to college, although a lot could change between now and the end of May.
Some guys choose to go through and return, like Alex Karaban, but others, such as Zach Edey, opted out shortly before making the call to stay in the draft. It's hard to gauge, and most often, this comes down to a player-to-player basis.
Some additional notable exceptions are Michigan's Hunter Dickinson and Florida's Alex Condon, who both skipped the 5-on-5 drills and ultimately returned to college. The latter represents the exact sort of formula that Kentucky fans are hoping Moreno replicates.
Replicating the Alex Condon Formula
Condon, after a breakout sophomore season with the Gators, seemed like a near-lock to leave for the NBA. It was more than a shock to see him return and continue to develop this past season. His statistics took another sizable leap, as did his draft stock; this is exactly the sort of route that Kentucky should be planning for Moreno.
While transfer commit Franck Kepnang did get cleared for a 7th year of college eligibility in Lexington, due his length injury history concerns, Moreno staying in the draft would render the Wildcats' frontcourt far too thin to be competitive in the SEC.
The majority of Kentucky's players are more suited to "small ball" archetypes, with only overseas pro Ousmane N’Diaye and the aforementioned Kepnang coming in at over 6-foot-9. Kentucky would have to find another big if No. 24 does end up leaving.
A Highly-Contested Position
What's worse, the center position has been one of the most difficult and highly-recruited across the NCAA and beyond this offseason. Moreno's physical upside and potential at the five-spot may lead to an NBA team being willing to take a chance on him at any given interval.
And Moreno does have room to improve; his hands need work, as does his general presence as a rebounder and force in the paint. But he's a proven hard worker and plays his given role with a no-nonsense sort of attitude. Those kinds of guys grow into successful NBA athletes.
History may suggest that Moreno is headed to the NBA right, but it's not a foregone conclusion by any means. The NBA Combine will officially end on the 17th of this month, and from there, we should get a better idea as to how this whole thing will shake out in Lexington.
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